Catching Lucas Riley

by Lauren Winder Farnsworth

  “Well, I am booked this weekend and next,” she lied easily. “But I could probably swing something the week after that. What about you?”

  “Three weeks from now it is, then,” he replied, and she could see him flashing his gleaming white teeth in her mind’s eye. “How about that Friday night?”

  “Perfect. I’ll pencil you in,” Alex said, finally getting the hang of the silky smooth tones.

  “Sounds like a date to me,” Lucas said. “I’ll see you then. Have a great night, Alex.” He hung up.

  Alex sat motionless in her seat, the phone cradled in both hands, the trauma of the moment finally settling around her. Her roommates gazed at her silently, looks ranging from fear to scorn to amusement on their faces.

  Kacey opened her mouth, her head craned around to stare into the backseat, but Alex held up a hand. “Don’t ask,” she said. “I am in no fit state to discuss it at this moment.”

  Kacey rolled her eyes and shrugged. Alex jumped a mile when her phone began to vibrate again in her hands. “Oh no! It’s him again!” she exclaimed when she saw an unfamiliar number flash on the screen. “I’ve already exhausted my stores of conversation for the evening! Somebody else answer it!”

  “Oh, for crying out loud,” said Kacey, reaching around and grabbing the phone from Alex’s hand.

  “Hello?” she said boldly into the phone. She listened for a second and then pushed the phone at Alex again. “It’s not Lucas.”

  “Oh,” said Alex, sighing in relief. “Who is it?”

  “It’s Sealey,” Kacey replied, a smirk on her face.

  Alex doubted that was any better than the original assumption, but the difference was, she had plenty to say to Sealey.

  “Well, hello, you dirty, rotten—” she started to say.

  “Not bad, Foamer,” he rode right over her insults. “Rough start, but by the end you had him eating out of your hand.”

  “How on earth do you know how the conversation went?” she demanded.

  “Luke made the call on speaker from the car, and I was with him,” Sealey said matter-of-factly. “How else would I know?”

  “How do I know how you discover your diabolical secrets?” Alex retorted. Now that the date auction ordeal was over, she felt the irritation at the level of helplessness she’d endured all evening and had every intention of expressing it. “All I know is, you didn’t bother to actually prepare me for exactly what I was going to be doing tonight, did you?”

  “I told you to bid. All you did was bid,” Sealey pointed out.

  “Yes, after spending a full thirty seconds in cardiac arrest!” Alex screeched. Rachel put her hands over her ears and Jaclyn winced irritably at her.

  “I couldn’t give you all the details beforehand,” Sealey said calmly. “If I did, the whole thing would’ve looked too scripted and Lucas would be onto us. You’re not trusting me, Foamer. And I did get results, did I not?”

  “Yeah,” Alex muttered.

  “Then stop your yammering and just be grateful. Now, I’ll be over at your house after work tomorrow to work out our next steps.”

  “The date’s not for three weeks!” Alex exclaimed, her eye twitching at the thought of Sealey in her apartment. “What could we possibly have to discuss?”

  “You really don’t want any contact with Lucas until your date? You really think that’s the best plan of action?”

  “But—”

  “Foamer, if you want this thing to go anywhere, he has to already be interested in you by the time you go out,” Sealey said, his voice clearly exasperated.

  “Why?” she almost wailed.

  Sealey groaned, and she imagined him holding his head in his hands. “Because,” he finally responded, his voice fatigued. “The only reason he asked you out is because he felt obligated. However, in a perfect world, he would have asked you out because he was actually interested in you. Therefore, in order for this date to start out on the right foot, he has to be interested in you before it starts. Otherwise, you’ll be spending the entire date trying to get him interested, and believe me, two hours will not accomplish a task that daunting.”

  Alex glared silently out the window at the passing scenery.

  “Capisci?” Sealey prompted. “I’ll be over at your place by 5:30 p.m.”

  “I have swim practice till six,” Alex informed him. “Come over at seven.”

  “Fine,” Sealey agreed. “See you then.”

  He hung up abruptly, and Alex’s phone fell into her lap. On one hand, Sealey had already proven his usefulness and his expertise. But on the other, she had never met anyone whose company was so fraught with conflicting emotion. Being near Sealey Witchburn was frankly exhausting, but he’d gotten her this far. She trusted him enough to actually admit that she needed him now.

  Sighing, she allowed her head to rest against the cool window, even as the car pulled up to the apartment building and her roommates began exiting the vehicle. She prayed the anxiety was worth it.

  ALEX SAT WITH legs jiggling spastically on the couch, simultaneously anticipating and dreading the sound of the doorbell. On one hand, she was helpless and hopeless without Sealey, but on the other, he was Sealey. ’Nuff said.

  “I’d honestly consider making a break for it if I didn’t feel so sorry for you,” Meredith said sympathetically as she folded herself sinuously to the floor in the family room. She began her yoga stretches, her long, dark hair sliding like water across her back. “Just don’t expect me to say anything.”

  “Thanks for hanging around,” Alex replied, her brown eyes creased with worry. The rest of her roommates had vacated the premises at the news that Sealey was expected. “I really don’t understand why he has this effect on me. I’m not usually a timid person, am I?”

  Meredith snorted. “Uh, no,” she replied with a significant look. “I remain convinced, to this day, that the only reason you’re still unmarried is because men fear you. You’re beautiful, intelligent, athletic, and a spiritual giant. Your only flaw is your willingness to open your mouth. You know, so widely and so often . . .” Meredith’s voice trailed off, and she focused on her downward dog as Alex’s look of flattery changed to one of irritation.

  “I’m not that bad!” she said defensively, throwing a couch pillow directly through Meredith’s graceful formation, making no contact whatsoever. She reached for another, determined to improve her aim. Just then, the doorbell rang. The sound echoed ominously through the apartment as Meredith and Alex looked at each other, wide-eyed.

  “Do I have to?” Meredith whined, still in her downward dog pose, as Alex rose to answer the door. “Can’t I just offer moral support from my bedroom? Do I really have to witness—”

  “Good evening, ladies,” came Sealey’s voice as Alex opened the door to admit him. “Meredith, what a stunning exhibition.” He raised an eyebrow at her, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. Meredith’s face flamed and she removed her rear end from its position of prominence.

  Alex gave her a sympathetic yet pleading look. Don’t leave me, she mouthed at her roommate. Meredith glared at her rebelliously but nodded her agreement, rolling her eyes.

  “Where are we setting up?” Sealey asked, turning to look at Alex. She wiped her face clean of all supplication and met his eyes.

  “Setting up?” she repeated in confusion. “What could you possibly have to set up? Don’t tell me you’ve put together a PowerPoint presentation.”

  “Sadly, I didn’t think of that,” Sealey replied, his brow actually scrunching in dismay. He marched toward the kitchen, and Alex noticed for the first time the shoulder bag he carried. A bag that looked depressively heavy.

  “Just how much time is this going to take?” Alex asked, feeling the exhaustion sink into her tight shoulders.

  “Depends on how quickly you catch on,” Sealey replied. He swung the bag onto the table, where it made a formidable thump, and pushed up the sleeves of his tan sweater. “No complaints, Foamer. You’re swinging for the fence,
so now you have to put in the prep time to actually score the run.”

  “Please don’t start with the corny sports analogies. I can’t take it,” Alex said, sinking into a kitchen chair.

  “Lesson Number One: You want to impress a guy, especially a guy like Lucas Riley, brush up on your sports chatter, analogies included,” Sealey said pointedly. “And I hear chatter is something you’re particularly gifted at, Foamer, so let’s put it to good use.”

  Alex shot Meredith a look that dared her to say something. Meredith smirked at her but continued silently on with her yoga in the living room.

  “Lesson Number Two,” Sealey continued, pulling a number of file folders out of his bag. “Brush down on the rest of your chatter.”

  Alex looked at him, eyebrow raised. “Excuse me?”

  “Look, I hate to break it to you, but men don’t have endless tolerance for prattle,” Sealey said, continuing to pull things out his bag. “I know you think your mind is a treasure trove of brilliance yet untapped, but I promise you, he won’t agree.”

  Alex gave him an affronted look.

  “Now don’t go getting all offended on me,” he replied, noticing her expression. “I’m sure you’re as brilliant as you think you are, but if you try to convince him of that, simply by telling him so, all you’ll do is make him wish he’d never heard of Alex Foamer.”

  “I don’t—” Alex began, but Sealey cut her off.

  “When it comes to conversation, less is more,” he emphasized. “Don’t tell him all about you, show him! Let him get to know you through observation.”

  “Get to know me—what?” Alex screeched. “Look, I know it’s stupid to spend a first date talking endlessly about myself, but how is he supposed to get to know me if I don’t talk about myself at all?”

  “I didn’t say that. Just limit yourself,” Sealey responded. “If he asks you a question about yourself, give him a general answer. Allow yourself to be mysterious to him. Allow him to come to his own conclusions about your favorite color, your perfume of preference, your skill set, and yes, even your character.”

  “Okay . . . ,” Alex said, mulling over his words in her mind.

  “If you tell him everything about you in a single date, what reason does he have to dig further? You want to intrigue him, to tantalize him, to leave him wanting more.”

  Alex looked at Sealey with an expression of disgust. “Remind me what you do for a living again? You sound like you’re quoting some cheesy online magazine.”

  “Advertising,” Sealey said simply.

  “Oh, well that explains it,” Alex muttered.

  Sealey rolled his eyes. “Trust me, okay? If a guy figures you out too easily, he completely loses interest. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true. It’s all about the chase.”

  “Well, technically, I’m the one doing the chasing,” Alex said mournfully.

  “But he doesn’t have to know that,” Sealey pointed out. “It’s imperative that he believes he’s chasing you.”

  “I know, I know,” Alex muttered.

  Sealey glared at her. “You know, I’m not really liking your attitude, Foamer,” he said, irritated. “After all I’ve done for you thus far, the least you could do is be pleasant. After all, it’s not like I’ve gotten anything out of this deal.”

  Alex sighed. He was right. He really had been helpful, and she’d been nothing but cynical and snotty throughout the entire process. “Sorry,” she said, sitting up straighter in her chair and molding her face into a more pleasant expression. “How’s this?”

  “Better,” he conceded. “Now, we need to stage some drive-bys within the next couple of weeks. Enough that Lucas is reminded of your existence, but not so many that he suspects you’re stalking him.”

  Alex nodded in agreement. Sounded like a reasonable plan to her. “He comes to the gym where my swim team works out every day. Walks right by the pool area.” She tried to keep her voice from sounding too dreamy as she said it.

  “That will work for a once-a-week contact point,” Sealey agreed, nodding as he shuffled through the file folders, apparently looking for something. “I have his client schedule here somewhere.”

  “His what schedule?” Alex asked, eyebrow raised.

  “He works for my company, remember?” Sealey prompted, glancing at her.

  “Your company?” she asked, her eyebrows rising even further.

  “Yes, Foamer, my company,” Sealey responded, his voice annoyed. “Trident Advertising.”

  “Wait a second, you own that company?” Alex clarified, attempting to keep her voice somewhere below a screech.

  “Don’t sound so surprised,” Sealey said, finally appearing to have found what he was looking for. He pulled the piece of paper toward him and studied it thoughtfully, his hand on his chin. “It looks like he has meetings all over the valley in the next couple of weeks. We should easily be able to set up a couple random run-ins without it looking too suspicious.”

  Alex was still staring at him. “How old are you?” she questioned.

  Sealey glanced up from the paper, his irritation evident. “How old am—what does that matter?”

  “You seem awfully young to have your own company,” she said, trying to mask how impressed she was.

  “It’s a small market,” he said dismissively. “This is Logan, Utah, Foamer, in case you hadn’t noticed. Not exactly a thriving metropolis.”

  Alex shrugged, but inside she marveled at this new tidbit she had discovered. She’d have to mentally nibble on it later.

  An hour later, Alex had a list of dates, times, and locations where she was expected to be. The plan was unbelievably detailed, even to the point of Sealey telling her which door to enter and where to stand or pace, and whether to look concerned, disinterested, or ecstatic. Alex wouldn’t have been surprised if he had insisted on seeing her closet so he could tell her what to wear.

  “And what do I do when he walks up to me and asks why I’m so panicky?” Alex asked, raising her eyebrows.

  “That’s the part where you lie through your teeth about the great traumatic event you’re suffering through,” Sealey responded, shoving folders back into his shoulder bag. “Besides, you’re giving Lucas more credit than he deserves for his level of concern. Most likely, he’ll see you, remember who you are, but not even bother to approach you. He’s a guy, remember?”

  Alex couldn’t imagine Lucas seeing a damsel in distress and not running to her aid. He was a knight in shining armor, after all.

  “And that’s good,” Sealey continued, not noticing Alex’s distracted expression as she dreamed of Lucas on a white horse, his armor gleaming in the sun. “We don’t want him to approach you and talk to you every time he sees you. He’d get sick of you before he ever went out with you.”

  “This whole thing seems awfully risky,” Meredith commented from the living room couch, where she sat with an electrical engineering textbook open on her lap. “What if you’re wrong and he does approach her every time?”

  “He won’t,” Sealey assured them. “First of all, he’ll be with other people most of the time, many of them clients, and he wouldn’t dream of making such a horrible impression. Second, you’re overestimating Foamer’s powers of attraction.”

  Alex opened her mouth to protest, but Sealey held up a hand. It felt like he did that a lot—the sight was overwhelmingly familiar. Maybe she did open her mouth more often than necessary.

  “I don’t want to hear it,” Sealey said, his hand still in the air. “It’s not like you’re a hag, Foamer, but the sounds that issue from your mouth are not exactly a siren call, you know.”

  Again with the mention of her mouth. She’d never been so self-conscious about her candor.

  “All right, we good?” Sealey asked, zipping up his bag. “Do you feel confident? Or at least non-queasy?”

  “Yeah . . . ,” Alex responded, her tone much less certain than she proclaimed.

  “Let me just offer you one more piece of advice,” Sealey sa
id, looking at her seriously. “And that advice is, don’t overdo it. I’m probably doing myself a disservice by saying this, but you’re a pretty remarkable physical specimen all by yourself, Foamer. The more effort you put into enhancing that, the more high maintenance you’re going to look. Take it from someone who knows, Luke is not interested in high-maintenance.”

  Alex was torn between flattery and confusion. “Are you saying I shouldn’t wear makeup or anything?”

  Sealey sighed. “Has anyone ever explained to you the concept of subtlety?” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I suggest avoiding one thing, and you immediately jump to the opposite extreme. I said don’t overdo it. You’re naturally non-gag-worthy enough that you could probably get away with no makeup, so maybe employ that strategy at the pool while you’re coaching your team. Lucas wouldn’t be surprised at all to see you go au naturale at the gym. But, if you’re running into him at a nicer restaurant, he would probably expect to see the girl of his dreams make a bit more of an effort. Make sense?”

  “Yes,” Alex said firmly. She was embarrassed that a guy was lecturing her on when and where and how to utilize her Maybelline products. However, she didn’t miss Sealey’s continued reference to her looks. She was surprised that he was even capable of noticing that a girl was pretty. He seemed like too much of a shark to perceive things like that.

  “Okay, then,” Sealey said, slinging his bag onto his shoulder. “Well, good luck. I’ll connect with you before your first drive-by, but if I hear anything of interest in the meantime, I’ll pass it on.”

  “Cool,” Meredith commented again from the living room. “It’s like having your own personal spy camping out in Lucas’s apartment, Alex.”

  Sealey rolled his eyes as he headed for the door. “Let’s not get carried away,” he muttered, reaching for the doorknob.

  Alex followed him out, needing to ask him one more question, but not wanting Meredith to overhear.